Scientists map brain's mysterious 'blue place' and discover longest neuron ever measured in a mouse

Deep in the brainstem sits a small but important cluster of neurons known as the locus coeruleus (LC), Latin for "blue place." It makes up a tiny fraction of the brain's cells but plays an important role by releasing the chemical messenger norepinephrine (NE). NE activates the body's response to stress or excitement, affects attention and learning, and affects heart rate.

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